Brothers by Blood, Enemies by God
by UndyingSins
Summary: When two brothers were young, they discovered that they had great powers, powers required to have a great destiny. But one of the brothers was kidnapped. Now, fifteen years later, they're reunited under...strange circumstances. Pope!Italy, Mafia!Romano AU
1. Prologue

_In this world, the Pope isn't chosen by hierarchy, or voting, or fighting. The Pope is chosen, not by the people, but, as the people believe, by the heavens themselves._

_The chosen go through special training, to learn what to do and how to do it. How to protect the people, and give just judgment when they're called on to make such decisions._

_Only no one expected two people, brothers, to be chosen._

_And they never expected for one of them to be kidnapped._

XXX

"Hey! If you want to pick on my fratello (_brother_), you'll have to go through me!"

The declaration was claimed in the middle of a deserted farm, not far from where the two brothers and their neighborhood bullies lived.

Standing on one side were the neighborhood bullies, two brawn-over-brains boys and a sly-looking girl who glared at the older brother.

"And what are you planning to do to protect him?" she asked, stalking over to the elder brother. "Last time I checked, you're as much of a chicken as he is!"

To prove her point, she slapped him, hard, on the cheek, laughing cruelly at the way he tumbled to the ground.

"Fratello!" the younger of the two cried out. He crawled over to his brother. "Fratello? Are you all right?"

The older brother just lay there, watching the trio while rubbing his cheek.

"Aw, the little boy isn't going to help his brother?" the girl taunted, motioning to one of the boys.

The boy that walked forward grabbed the younger brother, laughing at his squeals and failed attempts to escape his grasp.

This was a normal routine, one the bullies were content with because the brothers made such easy prey. They would sit there laughing a while longer before moving on to find another group of kids to torture.

Today, though, it was different.

They were surprised when the elder brother stood back up, looking extremely pissed. He shouted, "Stay away from my fratello!" and swung both of his arms in wide arcs across his body, pantomiming an 'x'.

The bullies probably would've thought nothing of this display, were it not for the fact that the elder brother's hands were glowing.

They screamed and ran, dropping the younger brother in the process, as yellow spikes appeared in front of the older brother and shot at them.

"F-Fratello?" the younger brother asked, walking over to the elder. They both watched as the elder brother's hands dimmed back to their normal color.

"No way…" the elder brother muttered.

"Well, looks like you managed to take care of those bullies quite well," a voice from behind them said.

They jumped, spinning around so they were facing the male that was talking to them.

He had positioned himself so the sunlight was shining down on them from right behind him, hiding his identity in shadows.

"Get away from us!" the elder brother shouted, trying to activate the power again.

The man laughed at his attempt, before grabbing the older of the two, easily lifting him off the ground.

The younger squeaked, "Fratello!"

"You're quite rambunctious!" the man said. "We'll be able to change that."

"No!" the younger brother cried as the man turned and ran away, holding his older brother in his grip. "Fratello!"

By the time the younger brother had stumbled back to his house, crying, the kidnapper and his older brother were long gone, disappearing into the dark corners of the alleys.

It was only a few days later when, alone, the younger brother learned that he, too, possessed the powers too. Only, instead of telling someone, it became his secret. Because he knew that, if he told someone, they'd stop searching for his brother.

Eight long years passed, and one day, the younger brother revealed his ability to use the holy powers involuntarily, to save his friends from the very same bullies that tortured him so long ago.

Within the hour, he had been passed into the hands of his supposedly dead grandfather, the Pope, for training, surrounded by bodyguards that would protect him for years to come.


	2. Chapter 1

"You should be sleeping," the blond German said, walking out onto the balcony. He came to a stop a few feet away from the Italian.

The Italian turned, the curl stubbornly sticking out the left side of his head bobbing as he did so. "Something doesn't feel right," he said. There was a distracted look in his eyes as he asked, "Ludwig, has there been any news about the Mafia?"

Ludwig looked at the Italian for a moment, looking concerned. "There hasn't been any activity from the Mafia, Feliciano." He walked forward until he was standing in front of Feliciano. "Now what's really disturbing you?"

Feliciano turned again, a soft wind starting up that made his robe and sash start blowing softly. Feliciano looked up at the sky, muttering, "It's been fifteen years…"

Ludwig winced. He couldn't believe he forgot what today was. "I'm sure that Lovino's safe, wherever he is."

"I can only hope so," Feliciano muttered, turning back to Ludwig and wrapping his arms around the German desperately.

Ludwig stiffened. He took Feliciano's arms and gently pried the Italian off him. "Feliciano, I'm here to guard you, nothing more," Ludwig explained to him. "You're the Pope; don't forget you can't have affections beyond a mute understanding for everyone else."

Feliciano looked depressed as he nodded. "How silly of me," he muttered halfheartedly as he took a few steps back from Ludwig, his eyes showing how much Ludwig's words stung.

Ludwig winced. He didn't mean to hurt Feliciano's feelings, even though it seemed it was too easy to break them.

Feliciano turned, looking back over the city below. "I never did want this…" Feliciano muttered.

"I know," Ludwig replied. "But no one was surprised when you exhibited your powers."

"Because nonno (_grandpa_) had them," Feliciano finished. "I know."

Ludwig nodded, deciding to forgo the mention of how much attention had been received when his grandfather revealed he had an illegitimate son. "Come on, you must be getting to bed before someone else finds you up."

"Si, si, (_yes, yes_)" Feliciano said. He walked inside, Ludwig following behind him at the same distance as when he first walked out onto the balcony.

Though, Ludwig _was_ worried. If something didn't feel right to Feliciano, then something had to be coming. Something bad.

XXX

"Are the preparations complete?" the figure sitting in the chair asked. His feet were propped up on his desk, the chair on the two back legs. The figure's head was covered by a black fedora, though the curl sticking out to the right remained visible.

"The final preparations are being made now," the Russian standing on the other side of the desk said.

"Good. I want them completed by twenty-three hundred," Lovino growled. Without skipping a beat, he continued, "You look like you have something to say, Matthew."

The pale blond with glasses hiding behind the Russian winced. "W-well…" he started. "I…I was just…wondering…is this a good idea?"

Lovino seemed to entertain this idea for a moment, before asking, "Haven't you figured out why we're doing this?"

"Well…I mean…kidnapping the Pope? We'd have everyone chasing us!" Matthew said.

Lovino nodded. He shifted in his seat and set his feet on the ground, watching the blond. "We would have everyone chasing us, but how else could we possibly announce to every one of our return? Besides," Lovino said. He stood up and walked over to Matthew. "I would like to see my fratello (_brother_) again."

Matthew took an involuntary step backwards, nodding.

Ivan took Matthew's shoulder in his rather large hand, saying to Lovino, "We'll get the preparations done."

Lovino nodded. "I'm counting on it."

Ivan and Matthew left the room while Lovino went back to his desk.

Lovino sat down, propping his feet against the desk again and crossing his arms. "Feliciano, we will be meeting again, sooner than you may think…"

XXX

Ludwig was out patrolling the corridors. If there was one thing he had learned since becoming Feliciano's bodyguard when Feliciano had first started training to be the Pope seven years ago was that he couldn't risk letting his guard down, lest danger fall upon Feliciano.

It was nearly midnight. Ludwig decided he'd make one last round before going and waking up his partner, Francis. Ludwig could already hear Francis complaining about being woken up so early.

Ludwig was just passing the front door when he heard knocking. He stopped, looking at the front door. He was sure he just imagined it. Who could possibly be knocking at close to midnight?

Whoever was on the other side of the door knocked again. Ludwig walked over and looked through the peephole, seeing Alfred. For Alfred to be here at close to midnight, something had to of happened.

Ludwig opened the door, about to ask Alfred what was wrong, when he heard the click of guns being prepped.

The German looked and saw that there were about twenty guns pointed at him.

"What's going on here?" Ludwig asked Alfred, though now that he was facing this person face to face, he realized that this wasn't Alfred standing in front of him. His hair was too pale of a blond and he had a curl bobbing in front of his head instead of a cowlick.

"Well, well," a voice from behind Matthew said. A man in a black suit walked forward. He was wearing a mahogany red shirt and a black tie.

The Mafia. Feliciano was right.

The person walked up to Ludwig, stopping next to Matthew. "Matthew, fall back," Lovino directed him.

Matthew nodded, turning and joining the ranks of the rest of the Mafia quickly. Ludwig tried to follow him with his own eyes, but couldn't see the Alfred lookalike once he had been swallowed by the crowd.

"Are you not going to invite us in?" Lovino asked. "It's getting to be quite cold out here."

Ludwig didn't know why they were here, and he didn't know the person standing in front of him was Lovino, the Pope's long lost brother.

Thinking quickly, Ludwig slammed the door and bolted it shut. He ran over to the closest phone and dialed the police, not being able to give much more information than the Mafia was at the Pope's residence and asking for reinforcements.

It only took a few minutes to complete the call, but that was enough time for the Mafia to start attempting to break through the door. No doubt they were swinging around to the windows and other doors, looking for ways in.

Ludwig didn't hesitate as he moved over to a button locked behind a case. Ludwig smashed the case and hit the button, manually setting off the alarms that signaled there was an intruder.

Everyone surged to life immediately. Ludwig had to cry out, "This isn't a drill!" so everyone would know how urgent it was.

Francis, his hair a mess, found Ludwig after a few minutes and mumbled sleepily, "What's going on?"

The banging on the door answered Francis' question. Francis turned, seeing the bolted door, and turned back to where Ludwig was standing.

The German had disappeared.

"Verdammt (_damn_)," Ludwig muttered. He should've seen this coming the moment he opened that door and realized it was the Mafia.

Ludwig got to Feliciano's room and broke it open. He was worried that the door was still closed and the halls were empty. In case of an emergency, it was up to a few select members of the guard to get to Feliciano and get him away from there.

"You will freeze, da (_yes_)?" someone inside asked. Whoever he was, he had pointed a gun at Ludwig, looking content with the situation.

Ludwig was immediately worried. This person wasn't a part of the staff, and he was dressed up as a member of the Mafia.

With him was the man who looked like Alfred and convinced Ludwig to open up the door, though now he had a polar bear with him.

These two were standing near the smashed in windows. Feliciano's room may have been on the third story, but there was a tree that Ludwig would find Feliciano in when he seemed to disappear. These two must've used that to climb up and reach his room.

On the other side of the room, standing on his bed, was Feliciano. His right hand was held up, pointing at the two Mafia members, and glowing.

"Ludwig!" Feliciano cried, seeing the German appear through the door.

Ludwig ran over to Feliciano, managing to avoid the bullets Ivan shot at him. He stopped moving once he put himself between the Pope and the two Mafia members.

"Feliciano, get out of here!" Ludwig growled, pulling out his own gun and pointing it at Ivan and Matthew.

"No!" Feliciano cried. "I'm not going to leave you here!"

"You've got to!" Ludwig replied. "Follow the escape route. I'll cover you. And, mein gott (_my god_), _be careful_."

Ludwig fired a few rounds at Ivan and Matthew. This gave them the few needed seconds for Feliciano to make a break for the window and dive into the tree.

"I will see you again," Ludwig told Feliciano, firing another warning shot at Ivan and Matthew.

"Si (_yes_)," Feliciano replied before starting to jump from branch to branch, moving closer to the ground.

Ludwig turned his attention back to Ivan and Matthew. The two had regained their composure and Ivan was pointing his own gun at Ludwig again.

Ludwig knew something was wrong when he saw Ivan grin. Something, probably an elbow, hit him in the back of his head and he fell unconscious.

XXX

By the time the police arrived, the residence had been deserted of everyone but a few members of the staff. All of them that were still there had been wounded.

The police knew something was wrong when they found no sign of Feliciano or Ludwig.

**/AN**

**And here's Chapter 1. So, what do you guys think of the story so far? Sorry if it seems a little fast, but I'm hoping that from here on out things will slow down.**

**And yea, I put what they're saying in different languages behind the actual word in question. I never liked having to scroll down to the bottom to figure out what they were saying.**

**Oh, and I don't own Hetalia in any way!**

**And I didn't come up with the title. My fantabulous friend did!**

**R&R Please!  
>AN**


	3. Chapter 2

Feliciano couldn't be certain on how long it had been since he fled his house; the only sign of time passing as he ran was the lightening sky. The one thing he did know was that he had to get to Arthur's house. The only thing he could find pleasure in was that he was wearing his pajamas, so the people out in the predawn hours weren't trying to pull him aside and ask what happened or request his assistance in one thing or another.

_I left Ludwig behind. I left Francis behind._ These thoughts swarmed through the Pope's head as he desperately made his way through one of the side streets, stumbling as he went.

Feliciano wasn't sure what happened, but one moment he was trying to keep one foot going in front of the other while trying to fight off the growing haze in his head, then there was a person standing there stopping him before Feliciano crashed into him.

"You're acting like you're late for something," Gilbert's familiar voice said to him.

Feliciano gasped, breathing heavily from how hard he had been running. Under normal circumstances, his guard would've taken him to one of the cars and drove over to Arthur's house while someone alerted Arthur they would be arriving.

But, then again, this wasn't exactly someone would call 'normal circumstances'.

"What's going on?" Gilbert whispered to him, guiding Feliciano into the little pub nearby. It was closed, but Gilbert owned it and had his apartment on the second and third floors. He must've been up bright and early, which seemed quite unlike him.

The pub in question was a typical one. Dim lights, a bunch of chairs and tables had been strewn about and one of the bar stools had been lodged between one of the tables and a wall on the far side.

"It looks like another fight went on," Feliciano muttered.

Gilbert nodded, saying, "Yea, but you know how rowdy they can get. So, what happened? I heard police sirens a few hours ago but the media's been restricted on not revealing any information."

Feliciano looked away from Gilbert as they walked up to the second floor. Gilbert didn't talk anymore, and sat Feliciano down at the small table in a slightly larger kitchen.

Gilbert pulled some wine out of the refrigerator and poured out two cups. One of these, he handed to Feliciano. The only sound was the chirping of the yellow bird, Gilbird.

"The Mafia," Feliciano muttered as Gilbert took a seat across from him.

"Huh?" Gilbert asked, surprised. "But, didn't the Mafia fall?"

Feliciano shook his head. "They got rid of quite a few of the major crime bosses, and some of the minor ones, but the Mafia was nowhere near finished. Last night…" Feliciano choked on his words, and quickly took a sip of his wine, but it was plain that he had started shaking. "Last night…the Mafia attacked the house."

"What about Ludwig? Is he all right?" Gilbert asked, immediately becoming the protective older brother.

"I-I don't know," Feliciano whimpered. "He showed up in my room shortly after two of the Mafia members broke through the window. Ludwig was able to get me to escape but I don't know what happened to him."

Gilbert groaned, slumping into his chair. "Can't you use some of that Pope voodoo or whatever it is to talk to him?"

"Well, yes, but Ludwig said he'd meet me at Arthur's house," Feliciano muttered, looking at the table in disdain. "I figured if I didn't see him there by tonight I'd contact him…"

Gilbert sighed. "Do you have your phone with you?"

"Yes," Feliciano said, pulling his cell phone out of one of the pockets. He chose a good night to wear pajamas…

Gilbert nodded, standing up and saying, "Go ahead and call Arthur. I'll give you a lift."

"G-Grazie (_thank you_)," Feliciano said, also standing up.

"Think nothing of it," Gilbert said. He neglected to mention the fact that if Ludwig found out he ran into the Pope without helping him out, Ludwig would have his ass.

They walked downstairs, back through the bar and over to a locked door. Gilbert produced a key and unlocked it, opening the door to allow Feliciano through.

Feliciano walked through the door, holding his cell phone up to his ear. He nearly walked into one of the walls because of his lack of attention, but was able to avoid it at the last second.

Gilbert closed and locked the door behind him and unlocked the nearby Jeep. Again, something else he wouldn't like Ludwig knowing was the fact that he'd pick driving the Jeep over anything else in that garage, especially since he had the Pope with him. Though, with the circumstances being what they were, Gilbert felt the off-roader was necessary.

"Ciao, Arthur," Feliciano said after he got in.

"Feliciano, you git!" Arthur's voice rang clear from the other side, causing Feliciano to jump and pull the phone away from his ear.

Gilbert rolled his eyes, starting up the Jeep. Arthur was probably the one and only person who could get away with calling Feliciano a git without having to worry about the consequences. Of course, it was for good reason. Behind Feliciano's own residence, Arthur's home was the one best equipped with security detail.

"I'm sorry!" Feliciano cried. "A lot happened in such a short period of time!"

Gilbert wanted to hear the rest of the conversation, but that wasn't going to work to well considering it seemed like Arthur calmed down and was simply talking, giving Feliciano the chance to put the phone back up against his ear.

"Gilbert's going to be dropping me off," Feliciano said.

A pause, followed by Feliciano saying, "I'm not sure. I haven't tried making contact with him."

"The Mafia."

"Okay. Arrivederci (_Goodbye_)," Feliciano finally said before hanging up and closing the phone.

By now they had made it halfway to Arthur's house, and it was very bumpy since Gilbert insisted on taking the back roads. The only problem was that the roads either hadn't been repaved in a long time, leading to lots of cracks and potholes, or not paved at all. The plus side was the lack of people around to slow the car any further.

Once he was sure Feliciano had finished talking, he grunted, "What are the chances that you could get some form of contact with Ludwig?"

"I don't know," Feliciano said. "I've hardly ever needed to use it before. It may not even work."

"Why don't you try?" Gilbert asked, sharply turning the wheel to avoid a kid that ran into the road, chasing after his ball.

After a few more quick jerks of the wheel, they weren't in any danger of crashing into anything.

Gilbert took a quick glance at Feliciano, and saw him gripping onto the seat like it was a lifeline.

Maybe Gilbert should've taken Ludwig's suggestion about adding in seatbelts…

Gilbert pulled the car to a stop so he could turn his full attention to Feliciano. "Okay, listen, I'm not going to drive anymore. Try contacting Ludwig and see what's happened to him. Please?" Gilbert almost forgot to add in the last bit and, even if Feliciano didn't care, he'd be hearing about it from Ludwig forever if his little brother ever found out. And Ludwig had quite the mouth on him for such a job.

Feliciano nodded, and clasped his hands together. They started to glow a soft shade of gold, not really noticeable unless you were looking for it.

"_I wish to speak with Ludwig Beilschmidt, recognizing the consequences of our conversation being overheard by those who best not hear it_," Feliciano muttered. The soft glow covered his whole body, becoming brighter, just enough to notice it without having to stare.

Gilbert looked around nervously. If the Mafia were searching for the Italian next to him, they might be around here somewhere. Gilbert shifted so one of his hands moved to the back where, off the floor, he picked up a gun.

"Just try getting near us now," Gilbert muttered to the empty streets.

**/AN**

**I guess one thing I should've mentioned sooner was that, in addition to Rosario Impale and Sequentia, Italy also has an attack called 'Amen' which summons a cross and the communication method mentioned above, in addition to a few healing spells.**

**I don't own Hetalia! Or the idea of Pope!Italy!**

**R&R Please!**

**AN/**


	4. Chapter 3

Ludwig wasn't sure how long it had been since he had lost consciousness. He had no sense of time, and where he found himself didn't reveal much. The only thing that confirmed he was still alive was a dull throbbing in the back of his head, just below the skull.

The place where he had found himself in question was a small, square, red brick room with a cement floor. He had been tied down to a chair, hands behind his back and each leg tied to the two front legs of the chair. One of the walls had a pane of glass, though he couldn't see anything through it. He guessed it must've been a pane of one-way glass, perfect for watching someone get interrogated without the person being interrogated knowing. Next to it was a wooden door.

Ludwig hadn't seen anyone else, and it felt like he had been there hours…months…years.

_Did Feliciano escape? Did he survive? Mein gott _(my god)_, I didn't fail as his bodyguard, did I?_

These thoughts swirled around the German's head. None of them were pleasing.

Ludwig's head shot up from where he was staring when he heard a rather loud _creek_ coming from the direction of the door.

The first thing Ludwig saw was a tall male with pale blond hair and purple eyes. Wrapped around his neck was a scarf, which seemed unusual considering the fact that it was quite warm.

After a moment, Ludwig realized this was one of the people he saw in Feliciano's room the night of the raid.

Behind him was a female who, while shorter, didn't seem to be lacking any demeanor. She had a black ribbon in her own pale hair and just stared at him, her expression unreadable.

Ivan walked over to Ludwig and said, "You will tell us where the Pope went, da(_yes_)?"

Ludwig felt a moment of relief when he realized that they hadn't gotten Feliciano.

He tensed back up and hissed, "I will protect the Pope, even if it meant sacrificing my life. I'm not telling you anything."

Ludwig felt something hit the side of his head, just above the temple, and it jerked his head and felt a wound that was gushing blood ripped open there.

When Ludwig made it apparent he still wasn't going to speak, Ivan brought the pipe down on Ludwig a second time, waiting a shorter amount each time before the next time he tried to beat the information out of Ludwig.

Natalya just stood there watching.

Ivan stopped after what felt like days, but was probably no more than a few minutes, and Ludwig took a quick tally of his injuries. There were various bruises and cuts. The majority of the cuts were already scabbing over, but a few of the worse ones were still losing blood. Ludwig tried taking a deep breath and winced. He must've gotten a few bruised ribs, if he was lucky they weren't broken.

"Natalya, maybe you could have him give the location of our friend?" Ivan asked, stepping back.

Natalya nodded and walked over to Ludwig. In one swift movement, she pulled out a small throwing knife and held it up to Ludwig's neck. "Tell us where the Pope is, or you'll not live to see another day," she threatened him.

Ludwig glared at her, saying, "I would sacrifice my life if it meant keeping the Pope safe."

Natalya growled, pushing the knife into his neck, breaking the skin to allow a slight trickle of blood to form, but suddenly stopped and put the knife away. She nodded, saying, "Yes" and walked over to Ivan.

They stood like that for about a minute, in complete silence. Ludwig was glaring at the two of them, daring them to try and get the information out of him, and they just stared back, looking like they weren't going to do anything and just watch Ludwig suffer though the injuries.

"I must say, you are quite willing to sacrifice your life. You're either strong willed or just an idiot," a voice from the doorway said.

Ludwig's eyes found the door again, seeing the one who must've been behind the whole thing.

"We were expecting you to spill by now, but I guess we could always find that other bodyguard and see if he would talk. He seemed all too willing to…run…" Lovino said, leaning against the doorway watching Ludwig.

Ludwig knew he was talking about Francis.

Lovino walked over, grinning, at Ludwig. "It's too bad; really, I was looking forward to showing him how you saved your own ass by turning him over."

"I have been trained," Ludwig growled. "Do with me what you want. I am not revealing where the Pope went."

Lovino chuckled, saying, "We'll see about that."

Ludwig gasped as he watched Lovino's hand glow gold and, with a sharp flick of his wrist, sent golden spikes flying at Ludwig.

Ludwig growled, looking down at where two of the spikes had hit. The attack had disappeared, but there were now two slashes on his shoulders, one slightly lower than the other that clearly didn't come from the pipe.

"Now, why don't you tell me where my fratello(_brother_) is?" Lovino asked.

Ludwig shook his head. "You're lying," he hissed. "The Pope's brother was-"

"The official story was that I was kidnapped and never found," Lovino said calmly. "This, while not a lie, is still not the full truth, because who would want to admit they lost a child, especially one who was supposed to become the next pope, to the Mafia?"

Ludwig looked ready to retort, but Lovino cut across him saying, "Oh, they did find me. Well, I found them. But by then, it was already too late." Lovino chuckled.

Ludwig growled, "The Pope lost is brother but was reported to have been found a few years ago, but asked to keep his location unknown." He refused to believe this man in front of him, a crime boss to the Mafia, was the same person the Pope had lost. Though he had to grudgingly admit, the resemblance was striking.

"Lies," Lovino stated. "They found me all right, but they didn't want to have to tell people that their precious Pope, or the Pope's brother for that matter, had become a part of the Mafia. And not just any part, but _the _part. The major part of the Mafia." He chuckled, saying to Ludwig, "I'm the leader of the Mafia now."

Ludwig couldn't believe what he was hearing. That the Pope's older brother was the leader of the Mafia, and that he, despite reports, was in the very same city as his own brother?

_Ludwig!_

Ludwig's eyes widened, shocked. He could've sworn he just heard Feliciano's voice…

But that couldn't be right. Feliciano wasn't anywhere around here. He _couldn't_ be.

_Ludwig! Can you hear me?_

"J-Ja(_yes_)…" Ludwig said uncertainly. He was sure he must've cracked.

_It worked! _Feliciano's voice said excitedly. _Hey, where are you?_

"Wait…you're not…" Ludwig muttered, aware that Lovino was listening to every word he was saying.

_Si. I am, Ludwig._

Ludwig wanted to scold Feliciano, but he knew now was not the time.

Lovino suddenly stood up and said to Ivan and Natalya, "Come."

They left, making a show of closing the door. Ludwig didn't buy it, and he sat there for a few moments before muttering, "Feliciano, where are you?"

_I'm with Gilbert_, Feliciano replied.

Ludwig asked, "Mein Bruder(_my brother_)? Why are you with him?"

Feliciano answered, _He saw me running to Arthur's house and said he'd drive me there._

"Tell me he didn't take the Jeep," Ludwig growled.

Feliciano didn't reply, but that was answer enough for Ludwig.

"I'm going to kill him later," Ludwig swore. He closed his eyes, getting his temper under control, and muttered, "How far away are you from Arthur's?"

_Not too far_, Feliciano replied. _Ludwig, are you all right?_

"Ja," Ludwig replied, feeling each rib and cut and bruise in clear pain. "Just get to Arthur's house and stay safe. And, mein gott, I can't believe I'm saying this, but tell Gilbert that he'll need to protect you for a while."

_O-okay_, Feliciano muttered, surprised by Ludwig's request.

Ludwig didn't hear anything after that, but somehow, he knew that Feliciano had broken the connection between them.

What Ludwig didn't know, was that Lovino heard every word. After closing the door he had opened it again, slowly so it didn't creek, and listened to Ludwig's half of the conversation.

"So, he's going to Arthur's home," Lovino muttered, watching Ludwig closely as the German tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

"So we shall go to, da?" Ivan asked, smiling.

Lovino nodded. "Ivan, Natalya, take both of your teams and head over there. See if you can intercept the car before they reach Arthur's house."

"And if we cannot?" Natalya's voice remained void of any emotion.

Lovino smirked. "Wait for me to show up so we can make a…trade…" Lovino never took his eyes off Ludwig.

"All right," Ivan said.

Lovino heard them leave to gather their teams.

"Fratello, you may have been able to escape this time, but it will not happen again," Lovino muttered, smiling as he watched Ludwig. "We'll capture you…one way or another…"

**/AN**

**R&R Please!**

**And I don't own anything!**

**AN/**


	5. Chapter 4

**/AN**

**On foREVerhauntingme's suggestion, here's a list of Feliciano's and Lovino's skills:**

**Rosario Impale: A series of golden spearheads, formed out of pure holy energy, appear and speed towards the direction the user waves his/her hand.**

**Sequentia: The user cups his/her hands and forms a ball of energy that is then thrown at the target. The longer the user holds the ball and focuses on the power being transferred into the circle depends on the strength. Unable to move when in charging.**

**Amen: The user will charge forward and form a cross in his/her hands that can be used against the opponent. The user must focus on keeping the cross there; faltering results in the cross disappearing.**

**In addition to these three, they have the ability to talk to people they know from far distances (Feliciano to Ludwig, Arthur, Alfred, Francis, and Gilbert. Lovino to the various Mafia members that answer to him such as Natalya, Ivan, and Matthew). They can also heal the wounded or sick; in return for taking it on themselves (Healing a broken leg would result in the healer's own leg being broken).**

**That's longer than I thought it would be. If you guys still have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll answer them to the best of my ability! I hope this helped you guys out!**

**Grazie for all the reviews so far!**

**And I don't own anything!**

**R&R Please!**

**AN/**

The silence that followed Gilbert and Feliciano as they continued onto Arthur's house was one that was best left unbroken.

Feliciano had opened his eyes, his skin dimming until it had stopped glowing, and explained to Gilbert what Ludwig wanted him to do.

Gilbert agreed, even after Feliciano had asked him if he was fine with it considering he had to run the bar that night and he wasn't sure how long Gilbert would be guarding him. Gilbert quickly explained his regulars would be okay with him not having the bar open for a few days, but Feliciano had a growing suspicion that Gilbert was more afraid of Ludwig than a bunch of drunks.

"Whoa!" Gilbert broke the silence by having to make a sudden turn.

Feliciano gripped onto the seat for dear life as they went down a side street. He wasn't sure what the sudden turn was for, but it probably wasn't good.

"What's going on?" Feliciano asked, looking behind them.

Gilbert grunted, "Company." He adjusted one of the mirrors and made another swerve; this time into an alley.

Feliciano looked behind them and saw a black car with tinted windows following them. He couldn't see the driver, but hanging halfway out of the car, through what must've been the sunroof, was a pale blonde female holding a rifle.

And that rifle was pointed right at them.

Feliciano ducked so the seat was between him and the girl, Gilbert shouting at him, "You've got to use them!"

_Feliciano,_ that affectionate voice of his grandfather and teacher whispered to him. Feliciano remembered when his grandfather had taught him how to use his holy gifts to harm, and now that memory was rising to meet him through the din that filled the morning.

"_Feliciano, you know how to use the gifts for healing, enough to make me believe it natural talent," The Late Pope said, patting on the head and smiling. His next words brought a dark look to his eyes that shadowed his features. "But I'm afraid that part of your training is to also use them to harm those that would seek to harm you."_

"_But I don't want to hurt other people!" Feliciano cried, not wanting to believe what he was hearing._

_His grandfather nodded at him, saying, "If you're lucky, you'll never have to use these skills that I'm about to impart on you. But, even if you do, always, _always_, make sure that it's the only thing you can do to protect yourself."_

"_Okay," Feliciano replied, wishing that he would never have to use these abilities._

"Feliciano!" Gilbert cried, shooting out of the alley and swerving onto another back road. Needless to say, Gilbert was glad he took the Jeep.

"But-" Feliciano tried protesting.

Gilbert shouted over him, "There's no other option! Feliciano, you cannot die now, and we've got no other way to fight them!"

Deep in Feliciano's heart, he knew what Gilbert said was true. He didn't want to believe Gilbert's words, but he knew that, from the moment the Mafia showed up in his bedroom, there wouldn't be any choice. Feliciano had wished, against all odds that eventually would never come.

Sadly, it looked like eventually had come.

Gilbert now had to concentrate as he was forced to swerve into another, narrower alleyway. This alley didn't allow any room for error, if the Jeep drifted too far to the right or left, it would create sparks.

But for all of Gilbert's attention, it was impossible for him to miss the flash of light next to him and Feliciano's cry of "Rosario Impale!"

He heard the car chasing them screech to a stop, lucky for them. Gilbert spared a glance into his rear view mirror and saw the attack land on the ground harmlessly a few inches in front of them.

Gilbert winced. Feliciano's grandfather really had taught him well; if the car hadn't stopped it would've been a direct hit.

"Gilbert!" Feliciano cried as he gripped to the seat as sparks started appearing alongside him. Gilbert's lapse of concentration had caused the car to drift too far to the right and hit the wall.

"ScheiBe (_shit_)," Gilbert muttered, turning the steering wheel far enough so the car was going along without hitting the walls.

The sound of gunfire became intense from behind them. Feliciano looked and saw that the car had started moving again. Now the female hanging out the top wasn't sparing anything and just trying to shoot at them.

Feliciano felt a bullet shoot by him and shatter the windshield.

"Get down!" Gilbert shouted to Feliciano. "Call Arthur and tell him what's happening."

"Okay!" Feliciano replied, quickly crouching down so the car seat was between him and the rapid fire of bullets.

He pulled out his phone and, sticking his finger in one ear, dialed Arthur's phone number and held it up to his ear, praying that Arthur would answer.

"Hello?" a voice on the other end asked.

"C-ciao, Arthur," Feliciano said.

There was a shriek as one of the tires blew, probably from a bullet.

Gilbert cursed as he managed to make his way out onto a street, swerving with the flat tire in an attempt to keep control.

The sudden movement of the Jeep caused Feliciano to crash into the passenger seat. He was probably going to have a bruise on his shoulder later.

"Feliciano?" Arthur asked, sounding concerned. "What's going on?" It was apparent Arthur heard the bullets and tire through the phone, which wasn't any real surprise.

"I'm not sure. We were on the way to your house when Gilbert suddenly swerved into an alley," Feliciano cried, trying his best to stay in the vehicle.

It took Arthur a few moments to reply, but when he did, he said, "Let me speak to Gilbert."

"He's…busy…" Feliciano said, watching Gilbert furiously turn the wheel in an attempt to get the car under control.

Arthur sighed. "Where are you right now, then?"

"Ve…" Feliciano looked around, peeking over the dashboard to try and see a sign and heard a bullet whistle past him. He ducked back down and said, "I can't tell."

The car suddenly came to a screeching halt and smoke poured out from underneath the hood; the engine had blown. Or, for all her efforts, the girl had managed to shut it off.

Gilbert shouted something in German, standing up. He ducked back down when the female attempted to shoot him.

"Let me talk to Gilbert," Arthur said. "This sounds bad."

Feliciano handed Gilbert the phone, and he took it in one hand and said, "Hey." He was using his other hand to search for something he had tossed in the back.

"Like I know," Gilbert grunted, pausing to listen to Arthur. "Hey! Don't go blaming this whole thing on me! He's still alive! Give me some credit."

Whatever Arthur replied to this appeared to upset Gilbert even more.

"Listen, I've got things under control," Gilbert growled, pulling his own gun out of the back. "We'll be there once I teach these guys a thing or two."

"And who will be the one doing the teaching?" someone asked as a shadow fell over the Pope and his guard.

Both looked up, Gilbert dropping the phone onto the floor of the Jeep, and found the girl staring at them. "You have lost," she stated. "We don't wish for things to become violent, but if you do not comply it will be that way."

"Bring it," Gilbert growled, pointing his gun at Natalya. "If you try anything I'll shoot you."

"Oh, will you now?" Natalya asked. She pointed towards the other end of the street and said, "Why don't you take a look and see what will happen if you harm me?"

Feliciano and Gilbert moved to see over the dash.

Gilbert cursed under his breath, but Feliciano cried out, "Ludwig!"

Standing at the end of the street was Lovino, with a gun pointed squarely at Ludwig's head.


	6. Chapter 5

Ludwig had just sat there, focusing on anything he could to keep his mind off the Pope's safety. The trickle of blood going from his temple down to his jaw before falling onto his shoulder. The way it hurt him to breathe too deeply due to his possibly broken ribs.

It wasn't really working. No matter what Ludwig tried, his mind would always drift back to Feliciano and how he was in the dark about the Italian's safety. Ludwig would never say so, but he had the utmost trust in Gilbert to keep Feliciano safe from danger. After all, they trained to be bodyguards at the same school – he just graduated faster than Gilbert. Then Gilbert decided that running a bar was more of his style; though it did allow them the chance to overhear any plans that might affect the city and alert them of said plans.

Though still, Ludwig worried. Yes, Gilbert was skilled and had trained to be a bodyguard, but he had some rather…unorthodox methods when it came to trying to protect someone.

Ludwig heard the door creaking open again and looked up, glaring at Lovino and Matthew as they stood there watching him. "Do what you want, I'll never give in," Ludwig growled.

Lovino chuckled, motioning Matthew forward and saying, "We don't need you for information anymore which, sadly, also means we can't have you dying on us."

Ludwig gasped, not liking the sound of what Lovino just said. "What-?" He ignored Matthew, who walked forward and set down cloth bandages, starting to bind the still bleeding wounds from Ivan's pipe.

Lovino grinned, saying, "We know where mi fratello is going. We just need to use you as a bargaining chip in case we can't grab the Pope in time."

"They'll never hand over the Pope for me," Ludwig growled softly, glaring at Lovino in defiance.

Matthew finished wrapping the bandages around Ludwig's head and started on his shoulders, muttering something about how badly he was wounded and that it was a bad idea to have Ivan and Natalya torture him.

Lovino replied, "They may not, but if I know mi fratello as well as I do, then he'd be willing to hand himself over to keep you safe and, if he ordered it, they wouldn't do anything to stop him."

Ludwig gasped, not able to reply because he knew Lovino spoke the truth; Feliciano would be willing to hand himself over to the devil if it meant he could ensure Ludwig's safety. Even with Gilbert and Arthur and Arthur's guards there; Feliciano would just demand they don't interfere and make sure Ludwig was the one safe.

Lovino smiled again, knowing that he had Feliciano in his grasp. Even if the Pope got to Arthur's house, Feliciano _would_ submit.

Matthew stood up, wiping a bead of sweat away from his forehead and said, "He'll be able to travel now."

Lovino nodded. "Matthew, go prepare the car. We'll be up there in a few moments."

"Okay," Matthew said, nodding and looking to leave the room a little too quickly.

"Oh, and Matthew," Lovino said as the Canadian reached the door.

"Y-yes?" Matthew asked, freezing where he was.

"See if you can't find Yao and tell him to meet me here," Lovino stated.

"Of course," Matthew replied, exhaling a little sigh of relief before hustling out of the room.

Ludwig and Lovino stared at each other, Lovino with a little smile on his face and Ludwig hoping that somehow he'd be able to help Feliciano.

"So why do you protect my brother?" Lovino asked, breaking the silence. He started walking at a slow pace, looking like he had all the time in the world.

"He is the Pope," Ludwig replied. "It is my duty."

Lovino shook his head. "Even though Feliciano doesn't want to be the Pope? Never wanted to be the Pope?"

Ludwig didn't reply.

"What? No answer?" Lovino taunted from behind Ludwig. It was impossible to see Lovino at this point.

"I have sworn not to answer," Ludwig said, remembering one of the many moments of weakness when it was just Feliciano and Ludwig talking.

"_If you had known about this for nearly as long as your brother has been gone, why didn't you say anything?" Ludwig asked, shocked at Feliciano's confession about keeping his powers a secret for eigh__t years._

_Feliciano shook his head, tears starting to spill out of his eyes. "I-I knew that…if I told someone," Feliciano muttered, his voice shaking, "T-then they'd s-stop…they'd stop searching for mi fratello."_

_Ludwig blinked and put himself in Feliciano's position, having Gilbert be the kidnapped older brother he never had the opportunity of meeting. He realized that if that had happened to him, he would've done the same exact thing that Feliciano did._

"_Y-you can't tell anyone!" Feliciano cried suddenly._

_Ludwig winced, saying, "Don't worry. I won't."_

_Feliciano smiled and, despite his tear-stricken face, it looked genuine._

"Oh, you've sworn," Lovino chuckled. We walked back to the front so Ludwig could see him. "That's not surprising, when you think about it, but it does still strike me as curious."

Ludwig glared; his gaze competing with Lovino's calm, taunting one. Ludwig sighed and muttered, "It's because of how much he loves you."

Lovino took a step back, surprised, but quickly shook it off. He was about to make some sort of retort when they heard the door open.

An Asian walked through, wearing the same black formal outfit the Mafia wore. He had black hair that was held back in a ponytail. Ludwig guessed he was Chinese.

"Matthew told me you needed something?" Yao asked

Lovino nodded, saying, "We need to make sure that Ludwig doesn't try making a break for it."

"Okay," Yao said, nodding. He walked over to the German and untied his arms, but was quick in grabbing his wrists and using the same rope to tie his hands behind his back. Yao then bent down and untied Ludwig's legs.

Lovino smiled. "Yao, put it on him. We can't risk him knowing anything…"

Yao nodded again. Ludwig watched as Yao pulled out a black strip of cloth and tied it around his eyes.

Ludwig couldn't see anything, and had to be guided by Yao as he pushed Ludwig forward towards wherever they were going.

Turn, Turn, walk straight, turn…did they just make a one-eighty turn? Were they trying to confuse the German on purpose?

After more confusing turns and what seemed to be one-eighties, they finally stopped. The air here was cooler, and hinted that they were near a door or window. Yao said, "Five steps going downwards." Then they walked down those five steps and Ludwig felt himself being pushed into a car.

Someone sat next to him, and after hearing the doors shut, another door in front of him opened and closed. Then the engine of the car started.

Ludwig felt the car lurch forward and after a few moments he could tell they've moved outside; there was sunlight filtering in through the windows.

"_I wish to speak with Ivan Braginski, recognizing the consequences of our conversation being overheard by those who best not hear it_," Lovino muttered from next to Ludwig.

"Ivan," Lovino stated.

He paused, Ludwig listening to the sound of his breath. "Where are they now?"

"We'll be there. Don't have Natalya do anything drastic just yet," Lovino stated. His breathing lightened and Ludwig was immediately struck with worry for Feliciano and Gilbert.

He heard Lovino lean forward and muttered something to whomever was driving; Ludwig guessed it was Matthew; before sitting back.

It was impossible for Ludwig to tell Lovino was lost in thought…

**/AN**

**I don't own anything!**

**R&R Please!**

**AN/**


	7. Chapter 6

"_It's because of how much he loves you."_

Ludwig's words had struck Lovino hard. He had simply meant to try and get Ludwig to feel hopeless, but what Ludwig said shocked him.

Not that Lovino would let anyone know that. He was good at hiding what he was feeling, and had done so when Yao entered the room.

Now, as they made their way to meet up with Ivan and Natalya so they could finally kidnap the Pope, Lovino had done one thing he never allowed himself to do before: Remember what it was like to feel abandoned.

_Weeks…or was it months? The little Italian couldn't tell anymore. All he knew was that some male had grabbed him and fled._

_He was supposed to be the next pope, and whoever that man was left him in this tomato field._

_Lovino growled in annoyance. No matter what he tried, he couldn't get his powers to work._

"_This is him?" a voice from behind him asked._

_Lovino spun around, surprised that someone had found him._

_There were two people. The one on the right had a mask to hide his true identity, but it was clear to Lovino this was the man who had taken him away from Feliciano._

_The other one was just staring at him with a smile on his face. He was Spanish; that much was clear._

"_Hello little one," the Spaniard said, leaning down so he was eye level with Lovino. "I'm Antonio. Sadiq is going to be leaving you with me for a little bit."_

_Lovino glared. "I want to go home!" He cried. Feliciano needed him, who else was going to help Feliciano stay safe if he couldn't?_

"_I'm afraid we can't let you do that," Sadiq said from next to the Spaniard. "You see, you know too much now."_

"_I'm Antonio," the other male said, smiling. "Don't worry Lovino, you'll like it here."_

"_Tomato bastard," Lovino grumbled, crossing his arms._

_Antonio chuckled, picking up Lovino. "Come on, it's been a while since you've eaten, right?"_

_In answer, Lovino's stomach growled._

_xxx_

_Eight years had passed and Lovino was still living on the tomato farm with Antonio. Their only visitor was Lovino's kidnapper Sadiq, but Antonio's ancient machine of a radio allowed them to know what was happening in the world._

"_You know what today is, Lovi?" Antonio asked, grinning._

_Lovino rolled his eyes. He had told Antonio repeatedly that he didn't want to be called 'Lovi'. "It's been eight years," Lovino grumbled._

_Antonio nodded. "Lovi, you don't need look so down," Antonio sighed. "Do you really hate it here that much?"_

"_Eight years at a tomato farm with no one but you and that Turkish bastard for company?" Lovino asked. "Of course I hate it here!"_

"_Well, why don't we just remedy that," Sadiq said, walking through the door. It was clear that he had heard their whole conversation._

"_Hello Sadiq!" Antonio greeted him._

_Lovino glared. He never knew when Sadiq was going to arrive, but Antonio always knew and never said._

"_Have you listened to the news yet?" Sadiq asked._

_Lovino shook his head and walked over to the radio, turning it on._

"—_the next Pope has—kssrt—been fou—kssrt—fter eight years of—kssrt—the lost—"_

"_Stupid thing," Lovino grumbled;__ giving the table the radio sat on a hard kick._

"—_We have received word that the next Pope is to be the lost Lovino Vargas's little brother Feliciano Vargas."_

_Lovino's kicking the table allowed the radio to find that sweet spot and communicate the news without problem._

_Much to Lovino's shock. He wasn't concerned with the radio anymore, but he was shocked by the fact that his little brother, dear little Feliciano who couldn't hurt a fly, was supposed to be in such a position of power._

"_Looks like your brother does not care that much for you after all," Sadiq muttered from behind Lovino. "If he's going to be taking your position…"_

"_It was first realized when Feliciano Vargas was in school," the reporter continued. "Unknown circumstances while he was in gym led to Feliciano Vargas to activate his powers for what many believe is the first time in his life."_

_Lovino shook his head, not able to believe what he was hearing. "This-this can't be possible…" he muttered._

"_But it is possible," Sadiq muttered. "The people have found their pope; your little brother is going to have the life you should've had. No one cares about you. Especially not your little brother; he's going to have so much to deal with now. He won't put a second thought towards the brother he had lost."_

_Lovino was hurt. If he had thought about it, he wouldn't have believed what Sadiq told him because what Sadiq had said didn't sound like Feliciano, but his mind had been numbed by overwhelming worry for his little brother._

"_Feliciano Vargas has already been placed into the Pope's care so he may lead us towards a better future," the reporter finished._

_Lovino blinked, feeling his heart break._

_Antonio was clearly concerned. He had watched Lovino grow from a young boy into a teenager. They worked in the tomato fields together. Antonio was closer to Lovino than anyone else, and he didn't want to see Lovino hurt._

"_So…would you like to prove to the people how wrong they were? That they never should have done this to your little brother?" Sadiq muttered, grinning._

_Lovino closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, there was a fierce determination in them._

"_Yes," Lovino replied._

_After that, he left Antonio and the tomato farm behind and went to the same city that Feliciano was in, only under different circumstances than the younger Vargas brother._

_xxx_

Lovino had learned from Sadiq everything he knew about running the Mafia and how to plan raids, though he had remained in the shadows under Sadiq's orders until the Mafia fell. Lovino didn't see it, but he had heard that Sadiq had died and it was written in Sadiq's will that the Mafia was to rise again under Lovino.

This had seemed strange, but no one questioned Sadiq's commands, and his last one was that they were to follow his apprentice.

And so the remains of the Mafia formed again under Lovino. It had taken years, but finally Sadiq's teachings would pay off.

Lovino's plan would be completed.

Only now the ruthless leader of the Mafia was starting to have doubts about this whole thing.

_If only Antonio was here…_ Lovino thought, but quickly stopped that train of thought. He hadn't seen Antonio again after that, he didn't even know if the tomato farm was still there or if Antonio was still alive.

"Sir," Yao said, interrupting Lovino's train of thought. "We're here."

Lovino nodded. "Yao, you'll help me keep Ludwig restrained. Matthew, find Ivan's and Natalya's teams and wait for further orders."

The trio moved quickly. Ludwig was out of the car and standing on the corner with Lovino putting the gun to his head. Only then was the blindfold taken off Ludwig's head and he could see. Yao had disappeared, though.

"This is how it's going to happen," Lovino muttered to Ludwig, watching as Natalya approached the Jeep. "If the Pope is handed over without any trouble, you won't find a bullet in your head. If they try anything, you aren't going to see another day. If you try anything, though, you can expect Yao to deal with you himself."

Ludwig winced; watching as Natalya had the gun pointed into the car and was talking to Gilbert and Feliciano. They had hit a dead end; the Mafia had won…

Gilbert and Feliciano's heads appeared over the dash, both in shock.

"Ludwig!" Feliciano cried.

**/AN**

**And so, with a few flashbacks, we're at the same cliffhanger as a few chapters ago.**

**What's going to happen next? That's for you readers to find out.**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

**R&R Please!**

**AN/**


	8. Chapter 7

"Well, what shall the choice be?" Natalya asked, staring at Gilbert and Feliciano calmly. "Hand over the Pope, or watch your dear friend and brother get shot?"

Gilbert glared at her. "Like I'd ever-"

"Okay," Feliciano said. "I-I'll go…just, please, let me heal him…"

Natalya blinked, looking at Lovino before looking back to them. "Fine, but don't try anything."

"Feliciano," Gilbert said, grabbing Feliciano's nightshirt sleeve as he turned to slide out of the car. "I can't let you do this."

Feliciano looked at Gilbert, and the fierce determination in his eyes shocked Gilbert. "You will let go of me, Gilbert," Feliciano growled.

Gilbert hesitated, but after a moment he finally did. He wouldn't go against the Pope's orders.

Feliciano got out of the Jeep and walked over to Ludwig and Lovino.

"Feliciano," Ludwig growled. "You should run right now!"

Feliciano shook his head, stopping mere inches in front of Ludwig. "You know I can't do that," Feliciano told Ludwig.

Ludwig knew even before Feliciano held his hands up that they had started glowing with Feliciano's power.

Ignoring Ludwig's pleas to run, Feliciano held both his hands up and placed one on each temple and closed his eyes.

Ludwig gasped as he felt the power flow through him. His cuts were disappearing, the bruises had vanished, and even as it happened he could feel himself taking bigger breaths as his ribs were repaired.

In front of him, Feliciano crashed to the ground, all the bruises that had been on Ludwig had appeared on Feliciano, the worse cuts spilling Feliciano's own blood onto the pavement. What horrified Ludwig was the fact that Feliciano's breathing had become labored and, even as the German bodyguard watched, regretted that he didn't try to stop the little Italian who was now lying unconscious in front of him.

Lovino nodded and there was Yao with Ivan not far behind. "Grab him and let's go," Lovino said, stepping back. A black car appeared at the curb and the door opened to reveal Matthew sitting in the driver's seat.

Natalya joined them as Lovino slid into the car. Yao and Ivan grabbed Feliciano and went to put him in the car.

One more chance. Ludwig managed to come to his senses and, just as they were about to push Feliciano into the car, tackled Ivan.

Ivan's grip on Feliciano loosened, causing Yao to drop him.

Natalya didn't waste a moment in trying to lodge some of her throwing knives in Ludwig's back, but as she went to throw them, found a bullet piercing her hand.

She turned and saw Gilbert pointing the gun right at her, smoke pouring out the barrel.

"Ludwig! Grab Feliciano and let's get out of here!" Gilbert shouted, turning his gun towards Yao and firing a warning shot at him.

Yao stopped in front of the car.

Lovino clapped, standing on the other side of the car. He said, "Very valiant effort, but you seem to realize you've just broken your end of the deal." He pulled his gun out and pointed it at Ludwig. "Prepare to die."

Lovino fired, but gasped when he found that his arm had jerked to the side, causing the bullet he fired to miss Ludwig.

"You will be the ones to leave," the Japanese standing on the lamppost said. He was wearing a dark blue kimono and, in his hand, were three throwing stars.

Lovino looked at his sleeve and found that a fourth throwing star had torn through it, causing it to rip.

"Kiku," Yao stated in dismay. "And what do you think you're doing here?"

Kiku jumped off the lamppost, landing mere feet away. He looked at Yao and said, "You know I'm part of Arthur's guard, and when Arthur received the call saying that the Pope was in danger, he had me dispatched to help the situation."

Lovino glared at him, looking like he was ready to say something, but the screeching sound of another car stopped everyone.

They looked and a silver Prius pulled to a stop next to Kiku. The window on the driver's side slid down to reveal Alfred sitting there. "Hey, grab the Pope and let's go!" Alfred shouted, revving the engine.

Ludwig was the first to take advantage of this change of luck and grabbed Feliciano, holding the Pope like he was a delicate flower. "Gilbert, let's go!" Ludwig shouted, making a dash for the car.

Ivan shook his head and said, "You're not leaving." He jumped after Ludwig, but stopped when Kiku threw another one of his throwing stars at him.

Gilbert had launched himself over the front of the Jeep and dashed for the car, firing warning shots at any of the Mafia that tried to pursue them.

He reached the Prius at the same time as Ludwig and wrenched the door open. He jumped in and helped Ludwig get Feliciano in next, Ludwig jumping in and closing the door.

Kiku had run over to the passenger door and jumped in, tossing a few more throwing stars at the pursuing Mafia.

"Drive!" Ludwig ordered the moment Kiku's door had been closed.

"On it!" Alfred shouted, looking like he was enjoying this entirely too much. He threw the car into reverse and sped off, back the way he had come.

Lovino jumped into the car again and barely waited for Yao, Ivan, and Natalya to join him before shouting, "Follow them!"

Matthew hit the gas pedal hard, and the car jumped forward in hot pursuit.

Gilbert knew full well Kiku and Alfred were the two captains for Arthur's guard, just like Ludwig and Francis were Feliciano's guard captains. But that left one thing unanswered:

"How'd you know where to find us?" Gilbert asked with one hand on the roof above him so he didn't bounce as the car reared down the uneven road.

Alfred replied, "The sweet power of tracking! When Arthur got Feliciano's second call, he told Kiku to track the phone's signal. Kiku was able to pinpoint the phone's position and we came as fast as we could!"

"What happened to the Pope?" Kiku asked, looking at Feliciano in concern. "Surely that was not the work of the Mafia."

Ludwig winced. "The Mafia did inflict those wounds…but they inflicted them on me."

No more had to be said. "We must get to Arthur's residence," Kiku muttered after a moment.

There was an unspoken, but grim, agreement. Ludwig looked down at Feliciano, who was now lying down with his head in the German's lap, and sighed. He could handle injuries like the ones that had been inflicted on him. Feliciano, though, wouldn't be able to survive from such wounds long. He couldn't even handle someone's broken limb for long before he was restricted to bed rest.

"So what's going on? Why is the Mafia after the Pope?" Alfred asked, swerving as they heard gunshots from behind them.

Gilbert growled, "Drive now. Explanation later!"

"We're not far," Kiku said as Alfred turned.

They had gotten on a paved road; but said road was full of cars and people.

Alfred muttered, blasting the car horns at everyone in the way.

When it was clear they weren't going to move any faster, Gilbert growled, "Open the sunroof." He shifted forward. "You've got a gun somewhere, right?"

Alfred grabbed a pistol out of his belt and handed it to Gilbert while the sunroof was opening. "There aren't many shots in there. Make them count," Alfred told Gilbert. His eyes never left the road.

Gilbert nodded, lifting himself up so he was standing half out the car, keeping the pistol concealed for the moment.

Behind them, Matthew had just turned onto the same street and Natalya was halfway standing out of their own car, her rifle firing off another shot at the Prius.

As the rife fired, there were a series of screams from the people on the street and everyone running for the buildings in an attempt to escape the gunfire.

"We're not going down that easily!" Gilbert cried, aiming the pistol and returning fire.

Alfred was clearly cursing now as he tried to weave his way through the abandoned cars with little success.

Natalya fired one more shot, but paused and slid back into the car.

"That's not good," Ludwig muttered, watching through the rear-view mirror.

Lovino appeared next, his hand held up and glowing like he was about to attack.

**/AN**

**School has kept me supremely busy as of late. It really bites but there's little I can do about it. Sorry about the slowness of chapters! (And the slowness of editing.)**

**R&R Please!**

**AN/**


	9. Chapter 8

Lovino muttered something under his breath and swung his arm, the golden spikes that appeared where his hand had traced the path making it clear he used Rosario Impale.

And it was heading straight for them.

Alfred cursed again, hearing the spikes make a few dents in the back of the Prius and a high whining sound from where air was escaping from one of the wheels.

"The tire's flat!" Alfred cried, pointing out the obvious.

Gilbert cursed, taking another shot and firing.

Lovino saw it coming and ducked slightly, the bullet shooting by his neck harmlessly.

Gilbert tried firing again. "I'm out!" he cried, looking back at the oncoming car.

Only Lovino was no longer standing halfway out.

Alfred muttered under his breath and jumped out of the car, turning to face the oncoming Mafia. "Kiku! Get Gilbert, Ludwig, and the Pope up to the mansion!" he shouted, looking around in an attempt to see where the Mafia was.

"_Hai_(Yes)," Kiku replied, getting out of the car and looking around while Gilbert slid out of the sunroof.

"Gilbert, help me get the Pope out," Ludwig grunted, cradling Feliciano's head while he moved to kick open the door.

Gilbert nodded, and went to open the door for Ludwig when they heard a groan.

The German brother's eyes shot downward to Feliciano's unconscious form. Ludwig realized his breathing had changed.

_This__isn__'__t__good,_ Ludwig thought, realizing Feliciano was starting to come back to consciousness. _If__he__doesn__'__t__get__medical__attention__soon,__the__pain__will__overwhelm__him._

"West, let's go," Gilbert said, opening the door and diving out the driver's side door. He swung around to help Ludwig get Feliciano out.

Ludwig passed Feliciano to Gilbert's hands and followed them out.

Ludwig took a quick pass over the area, trying to spot any Mafia members that may be going to assault them.

"All clear at the moment," Kiku said, joining them as he went around the back of the car. "Two of them have engaged Alfred, so the others have to be nearby."

Ludwig nodded and opened his mouth to reply when they heard another groan, this time with some coughing.

"Gilbert…let me stand…"

His voice was so weak; if they weren't trying to hear him they probably would've mistaken it for the wind.

"Are you sure-?" Gilbert started asking.

Feliciano said softly, but with the strength benefitting the Pope, "Let me stand."

Gilbert nodded and set Feliciano on the ground, helping him stand up.

Feliciano didn't look well. His pallor was ghostly white, signaling how much blood he had lost.

Ludwig walked over, whispering to Gilbert, "Help Kiku scout out the perimeter."

Gilbert nodded and Ludwig took his position in helping Feliciano stand.

"How're you feeling?" Ludwig asked, taking Feliciano's arm and swinging it around his shoulders. He closed his eyes, trying to hear Feliciano's breathing.

Feliciano's breathing was still labored – and shallow to boot. That wasn't a good sign.

"I've felt better," Feliciano mumbled, looking around. "Where are we?"

"We're almost at Arthur's house," Ludwig replied, nodding to Gilbert and Kiku. "Come on, we must go before one of the Mafia get past Alfred."

"Alfred? When did he show up?" Feliciano asked.

Ludwig remembered that Alfred only showed up after Feliciano had healed him and fallen cataleptic.

Instead of answering, Ludwig helped Feliciano turn around to search for Kiku.

"Are you ready?" Kiku asked, standing ahead of them and examining the route. He was sliding a cell phone into his pocket.

Gilbert joined them, saying, "We'd better go. I just checked with Alfred and the only one he's not handling at the moment is that chick that was firing the gun at us."

"She's probably heading to the roof of one of the buildings," Ludwig said, starting to examine the rooftops for any sign of the Belarusian. "Try and snipe us off from above."

"Then we'd better move," Gilbert said. By unspoken agreement, he looped Feliciano's other arm around his shoulder and they started making their way through the abandoned streets.

Kiku was keeping ahead of them, making sure none of the Mafia had swung around to ambush them from ahead while Gilbert and Ludwig kept their eyes on the roofs. They still let Feliciano walk, but were ready to pick him up again if he made any sound of pain.

Feliciano wasn't faring very well. He could hardly breathe; his ribs hurt far too much for him to allow his lungs to expand efficiently. After his ribs, the one that hurt the most was the wound that had originally been on Ludwig's temple. It was still dripping blood onto his shoulder, which was slowly making its way through the pajama cloth and sliding down his back.

He gasped as his leg collided with a stray tire. The pain shot up his leg and nearly made Feliciano faint again.

The Pope's gasp didn't go unnoticed as, without breaking step, Ludwig swung Feliciano up so he was holding the Italian. Gilbert fell behind them to keep an eye from behind. Ludwig ignored Feliciano's complaints as he weakly started struggling,

"Kiku, how far are we?" Ludwig asked as they continued running.

"Not far," Kiku replied, spotting the ordinate fence that signaled the edge of Arthur's extensive lawn.

Gilbert cried behind them, "Incoming!"

He had spotted Natalya standing on the roof of one of the last buildings, her gun pointed directly at them.

They heard the gun fire, and Kiku collapsed onto the pavement. His blood had started spilling onto the pavement, and from Ludwig's angle it was impossible to tell if he was still alive or not.

"Well, that was easy, da?" Ivan asked, walking right up to Kiku's body and kicking it aside like a toy. "Why don't you hand us the Pope now?"

Ludwig growled, and was about to retort when a bullet imbedded itself in Ivan's shoulder.

Standing behind him was Francis, holding a smoking gun slightly below where Ivan's shoulder was. "Grab Kiku and come on!" Francis stated, turning and running for the mansion.

Ludwig nodded to Gilbert, who scooped the Japanese male up and followed Francis with Ludwig in hot pursuit.

They could hear the bullets firing at them, and Ludwig saw one bullet skim Gilbert's back, but that didn't stop Gilbert from running after Francis.

Ludwig felt a bullet pierce his thigh. He winced but kept running, knowing that it was a bad idea to put weight on that leg now, but his adrenaline was up; he wouldn't feel any pain as long as he stayed tense and kept running.

Francis hit the intercom and said something into it and the gate opened. "Hurry!" he cried at Gilbert and Ludwig.

The German brothers didn't waste a moment in running inside the grounds and up the pathway into the house.

"Well, you bloody wankers aren't in any good condition, are you?" Arthur asked, standing in the entry foyer watching them.

**/AN**

**I'm sorry this took so long to put up! This is where I'd make excuses but the simple fact is that I haven't had the time. I'm trying to work on the next few chapters right now but I'm not at all sure when they'll be up.**

**R&R Please!**

**AN/**


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